Rebirth
by Xariann
Summary: What happens to Borg who managed to sever their links to the collective and return to their homeworld? What issues to they face, how do they "adapt"? The main character, Luthien Vausse, is one of the characters I roleplay in the 38th Fleet Argo, an STO fleet, which has inspired me to write this and other stories.
1. Chapter 1

Luthien Vausse sat at her desk reading the brief for her next mission. The USS Guardian was due to reach Rikel IV in about an hour.

Her office was well lit, adorned with artwork from many cultures hung on the wall, and keepsakes on various ledgers and nooks. Some of those were tokens of appreciation from the people she helped. Others were mementos. They were a reminder of the places she had been to, of people she had met, some of them quite picturesque. They were a triumph, a sign of rebirth in the aftermath of Borg assimilation. She was particularly fond of a small dreamcatcher which hung from above her replicator, it was handcrafted by an artisan of a civilisation resembling American-Indians.

The Guardian's mission was one of rescue and rehabilitation for planets and populations that had been affected by the Borg, one way or the other.

It was interesting to see how different cultures adapted to a post-assimilation society. Some decided to rid themselves of dangerous technology but retained space-capability ready to flee in the event of another Borg incursion. Others developed a quasi-collective approach. While some cultures put their newfound technological discoveries to good use.

Having been assimilated herself years before, her role as Counselor and her keen Betazoid senses put her in a unique position to be able to help other ex-Borg or distressed individuals who had lost everything to the half-machine race. She made a habit of knowing the history of each planet her ship visited to make sure she had a solid background understanding of the population and their culture. Rikel IV was no different in this regard. Understanding what had been helped her put things into perspective. The Borg had assimilated most of the population of the planet years before, back when Janeway's Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant.

As the Unimatrix Zero resistance grew and worked to find more ways to free more vessels, some of the freed Borg sought to rebuild their lives. Many of them tried to return to their homeworlds, as it was the case with the inhabitants of Rikel IV.

Not all population was assimilated however. The Rikelians were a warp-capable culture and they had managed to detect the Borg as they approached. Unfortunately, due to the nature of transwarp, the alert came too late and only a small number of the inhabitants managed to evacuate aboard their ships. They adopted a nomadic lifestyle for several years until they finally returned to their home planet. A few years later, the freed Borg that belonged to the same system also joined them.

Strained for resources and divided by diffidence, things were not exactly sailing for the now greatly diminished population of Rikel IV. Pirates and the Orion Syndicate often took advantage of the situation until their government finally asked the Federation for help.

The USS Guardian was to provide all the assistance they needed, try to establish a safe haven for Rikelians, and provide any humanitarian support the inhabitants needed. It was also the Guardian's duty to advise Starfleet on plans to help the population and kick-start a new era of growth.


	2. Chapter 2

Counselor's log, Commander Luthien Vausse of the USS Guardian.

We arrived at Rikel IV today. We were welcomed by the Head of State and a few of his Aids. They were very hospitable and seemed very happy to meet us.

I learned soon enough that they don't look approvingly on uninvited telepathic scans, not that I tried to do one without permission, but they mentioned it as soon as they realised I was a Betazoid. They banned any form of mind sharing without prior permission, due to how much the Collective link affected a lot of the ex-Borg. Attempts to recreate any Collective link are also illegal.

They don't really have any cities as their population isn't big enough to warrant one, and the villages are close to each other. There are city ruins dotted around the planet however – a remnant of what their civilisation used to be.

The Head of State talked of his dreams of populating those cities again, once the people have recovered from the aftermath of the Borg assimilation and the pirates have been permanently deterred from visiting them.

Both ex-Borg and people who had escaped the incursion share in the same resources, but as I walked around the streets the tensions between the two groups were evident.

Even amongst kids there were problems, where the same division was present and brought about arguments. I had to talk down a few kids who were threatening another, who had allegedly stolen a toy from one of them. It turns out she did steal the toy though.

Some of the adults mentioned she was one of the ex-Borg, and it seemed that she didn't understand the concept of property, probably a side effect of having been in the Collective. Her parents were also captured, but they all live on the planet now.

I am going to spend some time with the kids, see if I can ease off the tensions so that they don't grow up with them, and also to learn from them. There are a lot of things that they can reveal which the adults might feel they don't want to share.

I am not in any way distrusting anyone, but sometimes a bit of investigation is required so that I can get to the root of problems and help with the rehabilitation, which is our primary purpose. We are not here to punish anyone. Everyone is on the receiving end of a life that was imposed on them.

 _/SIGNED/_

Commander Luthien Vausse

Counselor, USS Guardian


	3. Chapter 3

"Take this, that will teach you!" A kid screamed.

Luthien turned around as soon as she heard the yelling, and noticed two kids in a brawl. "Algrenn, Samantha, stop!"

The Betazoid ran towards them as fast as she could and dived in between, keeping them both at arm's length.

"What is going on?"

"He keeps calling me tin can!" Samantha's voice was broken by anger and tears.

Luthien turned to the boy, "Algrenn, what have I told you about calling people names?"

"But she punched me!"

"You called me tin can first!"

"No, you punched me first!"

Luthien sighed. "Okay, stop. Both of you." The Counselor inspected the boy with her eyes and ascertained that no significant physical harm had come to him. "Algrenn, does it hurt?"

The brown haired boy brought a hand to his cheek and touched it lightly. "A little bit."

The Betazoid responded with an empathic smile and caressed the kid's face. Then she turned to another crew member who was talking to her before they got interrupted by the fight.

"Steven, would you mind taking a look at Algrenn for a second, make sure he is all right?"

"Certainly!" Steven walked up to Algrenn, took his hand and began to walk away with him.

Luthien grabbed the kid's arm before letting him go, without squeezing hard, but with enough pressure that he would turn around to look at her, "I don't want to hear you call Samantha, or anyone, 'tin can' again. Understood?"

"Okay." Pouted the boy.

"Good."

Satisfied that her colleague had everything under control, Luthien turned to Samantha. The kid had light brown – almost blonde – hair, and had a ridge on top of each eyebrow, like all the other Rikelians did. She couldn't have been more than ten maybe twelve years old. The Betazoid kneeled in front of her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Am I in trouble?" Samantha looked at the floor, her body rocked slightly from side to side as she spoke.

"How do you feel about going for a walk, hm?" Luthien's voice was like velvet and lacked any trace of scowl.

Luthien and Samantha walked hand in hand and reached a path surrounded by lush vegetation. A lake could be seen between the trees and was not far. The birds could be heard singing, and the sun was shining high in the sky and was warm. When they finally reached the lake, Luthien sat down and patted the ground next to her, as if to ask Samantha to sit with her.

The kid obeyed, but didn't say anything because she was too busy taking in the view.

The Betazoid noticed her awe straight away. "Pretty lake, isn't it?"

Samantha nodded quickly. "It is! Can I go swim there? Please?"

Luthien smiled. "I am sure that can be arranged." She placed a hand on the kid's head. "Listen Samantha, I need you to make me a promise."

"Okay."

"Okay?" The Betazoid wanted to make sure the kid understood her commitment.

"Okay." Samantha repeated.

"Right. You need to stop getting into fights with the other kids." Luthien caressed the kid's head gently, letting her fingers run through her hair. "I can't have you go around punch people all the time. And look at all these bruises you have. Don't they hurt?"

The kid looked down at the grass. "Yes."

"Do you want to keep them?"

"No."

"Then stop fighting, okay?"

Samantha didn't say anything for a little bit.

"Okay?" Luthien pursued.

"But they all hate me!" Samantha broke down into sobs and screams. "They don't like me because of the Borg, they say I am half robot… and they say mommy is half robot and daddy is half robot, and that's why they never go out of the house, because otherwise they turn everyone else into robots! And all the normal grown ups don't want the half robots around." The kid spoke quickly, without pause. "I hate them! I hate all the other kids! I hate them all!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Luthien's voice was calm and reassuring. Her hand travelled to the girl's cheek and remained there. With a thumb she wiped a tear off her face.

"Listen, Sammy. Can I call you Sammy?"

The girl responded with a couple of short nods while still sobbing.

"Okay Sammy. So… nobody hates you." Once more, the sound of Luthien's voice was like the touch of velvet on the skin. "They are just afraid. They saw their houses being taken away. They had to run. And it is not your fault. But they are afraid. With time, they will get used to aaaall the people that came back from the Borg. And they will start treating you like all the other kids. Do you understand?"

Samantha nodded again and her sobs became less frequent.

"Now, you are going to need to do something to show them that they have nothing to worry about." The Counselor looked at the kid straight in the eyes and very gently turned her face with her hand so that she would do the same. "So this is where I need a favour from you. Are you ready for this?"

The girl stopped crying and returned Luthien's gaze. Her eyes were safe, so safe that they almost put her in a trance. Without even realising, she nodded in agreement.

"Okay, you need to show them that you are a good girl. That you don't fight, and that you ask permission before using other people's toys. I promise you, if you do that, they will start sharing the toys with you, and they will ask you to go play with them."

Samantha just kept staring, enthralled.

Luthien offered her warmest smile yet. "Promise me you will do that. Even if at the beginning they are still scared, they will eventually realise that you are a good girl. And I will go speak to them and tell them. So, can you promise me that you will do this?"

The girl nodded again.

The Counselor responded with yet another smile and slid her hand off Samantha's cheek in a caress and then stood. She offered the same hand to the kid to help her up. The girl reached for the Betazoid and together they walked back to the village.


	4. Chapter 4

Counselor Log, Commander Luthien Vausse, USS Guardian.

The progress on Rikel IV is coming along nicely. Our doctors are working efficiently with the Rikelians to try and remove as many of the Borg implants as they can.

I always keep tabs on that because, as sad as it is, it is usually the first thing that causes divisions in societies where ex-Borg reintegration has just started – if you have a visible implant, you are a threat.

This reaction often isn't motivated by racism, but by simple self-preservation instincts.

I wouldn't say I find it in every post-assimilation society, and it's more likely to be absent in those that adopt a communal style, but it is something to watch for.

In the case of the Rikelians, with the total wall they raised against telepaths or anything invading their mind, it is quite evident that the general perception is indeed that the reintegrated people are a potential threat.

They are trying to include everyone but they are a scared people. And they are not evil.

I have told repair crews to make sure they always involved the Rikelians whenever they built or fixed something. I also told them to make sure both ex-Borg and those who had escaped assimilation are involved in the same projects.

This has been successful so far, the spirit of cooperation has grown and the shared experience of achievement is creating new bonds and mending some that were broken.

Which brings me to another point. A couple of weeks ago I witnessed yet another fight amongst the kids, but I was able to quell it. Things are slowly getting better, but there is no denying that when a certain kid, Samantha, is around, the fights are almost inevitable.

She hit a boy, alas it wasn't the first time either. I asked one of my other Counselors to tend to him while I took Samantha aside and tried to understand what is going on.

She was assimilated with her family and was one of the first people to receive medical treatment. However the other kids are still scared of her and don't seem to treat her on the same level. Whether this causes her to act violently or whether that behaviour is what is making the other kids distrust her in the first place it is difficult to say, but this is a catch 22 situation.

 _Luthien sighed._

I am missing something here.

The kids seem to all show notable improvement since we arrived. Samantha is not. Her reaction to me, when I took her aside, was also very telling.

I don't think anyone has ever made her look at the fact that her actions have consequences, that there are choices. When you are in the Collective there is no choice and the collective will is inevitable.

Their "chat up line" says it all, "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

But that isn't everything. She has calmed down a bit and yes it will take her time to adapt, but something is still not quite right.

When I spoke to her alone, she almost acted as if she had not seen kindness before. Or maybe it was just that since the Collective nobody had tried to connect with her, while also leaving her complete choice of interaction and the ability to answer back.

But I am not quite hitting the mark just yet. I wish I was allowed to read people's minds…

Anyway, next step will be talking to her parents.


	5. Chapter 5

Luthien sat at her desk in her office aboard the USS Guardian. She had a couple of PADDs in front of her, and she held one in her hands.

She was trying to catch up on the reports from the medical department and the other counselors – with the type of missions the Guardian was undertaking, there was an entire section dedicated to counseling of which she was the head. It wasn't as big as that of a starbase though, it had a total of three counselors including herself.

The Betazoid passed a hand behind her neck and rocked her head a little from side to side, to loosen up the muscles.

She turned towards the replicator where the dreamcatcher hung. She looked at it for a while, lost in thought.

Her contemplation was interrupted by the sudden but expected chime of the door.

"Come in." She placed her PADD on the table and entwined her fingers on top of the devices, her elbows on the desk.

Two people stepped in as the doors hissed open, a man and a woman.

Luthien smiled and stood up, "Janie, Mark. I am glad you could make it." She pointed at the two chairs in front of her desk. "Please, take a seat."

The couple returned the smile and complied with the Betazoid's invitation somewhat shyly. After a slightly awkward silence Mark spoke up, "Thank you Counselor."

The Commander smiled again, "Luthien. Please." She proceeded to walk towards the replicator. "Would you like a drink?"

The two seated people glanced at each other, perhaps to see if the other would take the offer and if it was appropriate to take advantage of it.

The Counselor turned slightly away from the replicator, in order to see them better, "Please, I insist."

The two Rikelians smiled. Janie was the first one to speak up, "We would love a coffee thank you. Haven't had one in ages."

Luthien didn't show any external reaction but it hadn't quite hit her up to that moment that something as simple as a coffee could be out of their reach. She looked at Mark, awaiting for his request.

"Oh yes! A coffee!" He said.

"Two coffees coming right up." Luthien turned towards the replicator as she said that and proceeded to order three coffees on a tray, one for herself as well.

She paused for a moment in front of the replicator and then turned around to the couple.

"Milk? Sugar?"

Janie blinked. More choices!

"Oh… eerr… we are easy really." She reprised somewhat awkwardly.

Luthien nodded and proceeded to order some sugar and milk in separate containers. She then took the tray and walked to her desk. Mark helped her by moving the PADDs to one side and allowing some space. When the tray was set on the table, the Counselor sat.

While she genuinely wanted them to have a coffee, the subsequent question regarding milk and sugar was a bit of a test. She obviously wanted to make them feel at ease as much as possible, out of pure care for the two beings in front of her. But she was also testing their ability to make choices.

It was a right that was stripped from every drone and she knew that too well. People reacted differently from disconnection and one of the possible reactions was the inability to tend to themselves or make choices. Others became very individualistic – she wasn't a stranger to that either, as her sister Nareen was one of those people.

She silently observed as Janie just had her coffee black and Mark had it with milk. She had also noticed that it was him who helped her clear the desk out of his own initiative. Once Mark was finished with his milk, she also proceeded to pour some in her cup. She could have just ordered it with milk, knowing her own tastes, but she didn't want the couple to feel they were treated differently and wanted to put them at the same level as she. Because, after all, they were living beings, just like her. She took a sip out of her cup.

"Thanks for coming –" She began, "I really just wanted to see how things are going with you and your daughter. I haven't really seen you mingle in with the rest much."

Mark leaned forward to pick up his cup and took a sip, he quickly licked his lips tasting the delicious brew. He then placed the cup on the tray and sat back again. "We are adapting."

Janie remained silent.

Luthien contemplated the couple for a moment or two. She could already tell this was going to be an expansive and open conversation. Not. "And there are a couple of things you are still not 'adapted' to?"

Janie and Mark looked at each other again as if to see how the other was going to react.

The penny dropped for Luthien. They had done that earlier as well. And they were "adapting." They still needed the validation of the Collective. They found it difficult to even know how to react sometimes and they still tried to know what each other was thinking.

That one glimpse unfolded a whole new story in front of her eyes. Alas she couldn't confirm that with a telepathic scan so the only way was to ask more questions. She could have asked their permission to read their mind, but if her hunch was right, she'd have appeased their addiction – they would have been aware that she was hearing their thoughts and they would have stopped making an effort to act as individuals.

And if she was wrong, asking them would have possibly alienated an already taxed couple.

Going on her hunch however, she realised that kid's parents weren't capable of giving themselves direction without total sharing, let alone give it to a child. Samantha had no guidance.

Luthien rephrased the question to something more specific, something that required less choice. Asking what they had a problem with involved them picking from a number of problems, evaluate which ones were important enough and then which ones they should bring forward first. Her previous question alone would mean making three choices right from the get go. "How do you find your new house? Is it comfortable enough?"

Janie spoke up this time, "Ohh… yes it's cozy. And it's warm. Still difficult to fall asleep on a bed though." She chuckled. Her expression became serious though, as if she were embarrassed.

"I was assimilated too." Luthien reassured. "I know exactly how that feels like."

The couple looked surprised, "But you don't look…" Janie started to say.

"No, I don't have any visible implants. Although it took some time for my body to adapt, even my ocular implant was replaced. There are some bits still buried here and there though." Luthien paused. "Like your daughter, it happened at a young age for me. My body was more resilient when the implants were removed."

The Counselor drank the remainder of her coffee, satisfied that the amount of milk she had put in by hand was just right. "And what about your daughter? Does she like the house?"

The couple looked at each other again.

Luthien placed her left elbow on the armchair, and rested her chin on the semi-open fist. She was waiting to see who would make the choice to respond. Seeing the pattern, she was pretty sure she knew.

"We… don't know." Mark said with a strained tone of voice. "She is always out playing with the other kids."

That was the person Luthien expected to hear the answer from.

"You never asked?"

Janie blinked once again. "Ask? Oh. No. We never asked."

They were alternating the answers. The first one was more difficult because they had to chose, but after that it was simple. Just follow a pattern. Luthien had also noticed that not once they had talked in the first singular person. They kept saying, "We."

"Unfortunately, there seem to be some problems with your daughter. She seems to get into many fights with the other kids."

Mark replied, "We tell her to stop. She doesn't listen."

"How do you tell her?" The Counselor inquired.

The two remained silent, looking confused.

"We tell her to stop?" Janie's posed it as a question, unsure of whether that was the answer the Counselor was after.

"Did you ever spend some time to have a heart to heart talk with her? Tell her what she should and shouldn't do, find out if something troubles her?"

Mark furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes. We told her to stop. We told her it was useless to do otherwise."

Luthien took a good look at the two quietly. She got the picture.

Janie decided to offer some information on her own this time, "We find it difficult to… talk. This… we are doing. It is difficult."

The Betazoid placed both hands on the desk behind the tray, entwining her fingers. "I know." She contemplated what to say next. "I have an idea. Come with me and your daughter tomorrow and let's have a walk around the village. I want you to ask her what her favourite places are, I want you to ask her what she loves and what she doesn't. I'll be there. I'll help you with the conversation."

Mark and Janie exchanged another look, then they both turned to Luthien and nodded. "It is a good idea." Mark finally replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Luthien walked along her favourite path in Rikel IV. The same one she had shown Samantha. It was dusk and a breeze caressed the leaves of the trees. She wanted some time on her own to ponder on everything that had happened since they landed on Rikel IV.

A couple of days had passed since she had taken Samantha and her parents for a walk through the village's streets. The two adults were struggling with asking questions but they tried. The Counselor hoped it was the beginning of a dialogue between parents and child. She hoped Janie and Mark started to reaffirm their own individuality also.

The Betazoid was slightly surprised to see them still in that state, but after careful consideration she thought of previous encounters where the population was at least maintaining some resemblance of a link. If Janie and Mark lived in a society such as that, they would have probably availed themselves of such tool. The kind of link other societies adopted wasn't necessarily through Borg trasponders. They might have adopted some form of fast, instant communication, or wore augmented reality visors that were connected to each other. The Rikelian government had banned any such tool from the get go, and it looked like some of the people who were assimilated didn't have the time to adjust. The other former Borg she had talked to on Rikel IV didn't appear to be affected as much as Samantha's parents, but everyone reacted differently.

The Betazoid's train of thought was interrupted by something that appeared to sound like someone crying.

She stopped walking and paid attention to the sounds. It became louder with each moment and she could definitely tell now that someone was crying.

She followed the sobs and sighs until she reached the lake. There she found Samantha, sat on the grass with the knees against her chest and her arms around her knees.

Luthien walked up to her and kneeled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Sammy, what's happening?"

The girl turned around towards her left, where the Counselor was. Tears poured down her face and she clung to one of Luthien's arms. The woman sat down next to her and caressed her face. "Talk to me, Sammy, what's going on?"

In between sighs and tears, the kid replied with a broken voice, "I am... not allowed… to say."

Luthien cocked her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "Why? What can't you say?"

"I can't!"

"Sammy, why not?"

"Mummy and daddy will treat me bad if they find out."

The blonde woman ran her fingers through the kid's hair trying to reassure her. "I won't tell them if you don't."

Samantha just kept crying. "What if they are spying?"

The Betazoid looked at the kid quietly for some time. That last statement was so innocent and so fearful, of course if the parents were around they wouldn't just stand there and spy. But she played along."Hey let's do this. Did you know I can read your mind? If you give me permission, I'll just do that and nobody can say you said anything."

Samantha looked up still sobbing loudly, "You can do that?"

Luthien nodded once and smiled the best she could, although the sight of the kid in tears was making it very difficult.

Samantha completely broke down in tears. The Betazoid embraced the kid and began the telepathic link. What she discovered broke her heart.

Most of the bruises didn't come from the fights with the other kids.

Her short temper didn't come from the bullying.

Her stealing habits didn't come solely from the Collective lifestyle.

Her parents suffered from repeated psychotic breakdowns, caused by the addiction to the Collective. They turned violent when the withdrawal kicked in and they were so against each other and the kid. Any minor argument sparked an avalanche of rage which wouldn't stop until the parents were exhausted from the fighting.

Luthien was conflicted. She wanted to take off right there and then and put the girl's parents in their place. But she was also very aware of their struggle, and that their condition had simply gone unnoticed and they also needed help. On the other hand she knew exactly how the girl felt and leaving her alone then was not an option.

She simply held Samantha tight for a very long time and didn't let her go until she stopped crying.

* * *

Luthien spent a lot of time with Samantha since that day. She compiled a rehabilitation program for her parents and followed their progress closely.

In the meantime she spent at least an hour every day with the girl. When she could she would stay with her for longer.

Samantha, safe from the threats of her parents, was able to share many of the things that had happened and had come to trust Luthien like no one else before. For the little girl, the Betazoid was her world. All she knew was that she was kind, and made her feel happy somehow, even just by being around. Maybe a few years down the line, she would have realised that the Betazoid was perhaps the first person she fell in love with, however platonic that feeling was.

Luthien took her for many long strolls. She was careful to bring the girl's attention to all the beautiful things they encountered – the flowers, the animals, the colours of the sunset.

"NOOO!" Samantha screamed. "Don't leave me! Please! Don't leave me!" The little girl squeezed the Counselor, who was kneeled in front of her, as strong as she could. She grabbed hold of her sleeves and didn't want to let go.

Luthien held the girl tight, like she did the first time by the lake.

The dreaded day when the mission of the Guardian on Rikel IV had to end had come, and unfortunately she couldn't just take with her everyone she had counseled or her office would have been pretty crowded. The Federation was to send further vessels with more supplies to maintain the growth of the population until they were fully self sufficient.

The problem with the pirates and the Syndicate was also solved, as when they found out that the system was protected by the Federation, they backed off and moved onto easier pickings.

Samantha's parents had improved a lot. They had finally dealt with the addiction to the link and as such they were no longer violent. And they did love their daughter very much. That family had been through enough tragedy already, now they could rebuild and they needed to be given the chance.

One of the mission directives was to try and reintegrate the victims of the Borg incursions into their normal lifestyles. While one could say that being assimilated is anything but normal, it was important that Starfleet worked to restore the balance of the civilisations that were ruined.

Luthien did love the girl but she also had to keep her attachments in check.

"I am sorry sweetie, but there are other places I need to visit, other people that need our help." Leaving people behind was the hardest part of her job.

"But I don't want you to go!" Samantha had tears in her eyes. She felt fingers run through her hair, a familiar touch that had soothed her many times before.

The two spent their last couple of hours together in Vausse's office before they had to say their goodbyes. Luthien made sure they were the most memorable the girl would have experienced for a while.

* * *

A few hours had passed and the Guardian was headed to a near Starbase for routine maintenance and staff leave.

The low key humming of the life support systems usually didn't disturb Luthien, yet it seemed very loud and tormenting this time. She couldn't shake that image of the little girl crying when they had to part ways. She hoped that all her efforts were not lost in that one moment, and that Samantha could finally begin to build a life of her own.

She sat at her desk, her chin resting on the interlocked hands. She replayed many of the times she spent together with the troubled child. She missed her already.

A tear ran along her face as she ventured her gaze towards the replicator. The dreamcatcher was no longer there. She gave it to Samantha as a keepsake, and told her that when she had nightmares all she had to do was to think about that gift.

In its place there was a drawing with two stick figures. One was taller than the other and they held hands. A couple of hearts were between them and a name was written of top of each: Luthien and Sammy.


End file.
